Google's Mobilegeddon to hit today, 'mobile-friendly' to be ranked higher

Initiative to push mobile-friendly websites may pinch Indian enterprises

Google’s changed mobile search algorithm that will affect website rankings from Tuesday will bring it close to higher advertisement revenue from cell phones.

The changes mean websites that are not mobilefriendly will drop down in rankings, a move described as ‘Mobilegeddon’.

Google had in February announced, “Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results.”

More than 50 per cent of search traffic in India emanates from mobile devices. According to the Internet and Mobile Association of India and market research firm IMRB International, India had 173 million mobile internet users in December 2014. For almost 74 per cent of the country’s mobile internet users, the primary activity is accessing email, followed by social networking at 61 per cent.

“Most websites in India are not mobile-friendly. The number of responsive websites is very few. This is largely true for corporate sites. Since the ranking will change, it will mean a shift in market share. It will create white space that will be filled by newer players,” said Hareesh Tibrewala, joint chief executive officer, Social Wavelength.

“Over the last six months,  several of our clients have moved to responsive websites on a war footing,” he added.

Experts agreed the move would not have a significant effect on e-commerce companies, which had switched to a mobile-first approach or had made mobile websites or apps.

“The majority of e-commerce players are mobile-ready. It is the small and medium enterprises and to some extent large enterprises that will need to gear up their mobile presence. In both categories, mobile-friendliness will be in the low double digit numbers,” said Bhavin Turakhia, chief executive officer of Directi.

“Sooner or later, companies will have to beef up their mobile presence. I do not think it is too early for such a shift in India. Smartphones are becoming the preferred first device to access the internet,” said Vishal Tripathi, principal research analyst at Gartner.

Pranav Bhasin, head of product at Makemytrip, said at a recent Internet and Mobile Association of India conference 40 per cent and 37 per cent of the site’s travel and hotel business, respectively, originated on mobile phones. Over 75 per cent of mobile transactions took place through the MakeMyTrip app, he added.